“Now, pay attention to the water around you. Do you feel that?”
“Feel what?” Kallie asked.
A wave undulated beneath them and she looked defeated.
“Don’t focus on my voice. Focus on the water.”
“Then stop talking,” she said as she peeked out of one eye.
Ash grinned but closed his lips and held the surfboard as he watched Kallie. Her face relaxed and she turned her head up toward the sky, allowing her copper waves to trickle between her shoulder blades. Her pale skin was tanned even more than he remembered and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Off the rise and fall of her chest as she steadied her breathing. Off the wind blowing through her locks of salty hair. Off the wall her legs straddled his board and gave him the perfect view of the place where he wanted to be.
Fuck.
Kallie was a beautiful creature.
Suddenly, and ripping him from his trance, Kallie leaped up and stood on her board. A small wave came and ebbed beneath her, and he was shocked at how she managed to keep herself upright. Kallie opened her eyes and looked down at Ash, and there was a light there he hadn’t seen before.
Pride.
Kallie was proud of what she had accomplished.
Ash reached up for her hand and helped her back down onto the board. But she slipped and fell against him into the water. His hands fell to her curves and locked around her back as water splashed around them, and Kallie let out the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.
A breathless giggle as a smile streamed across her cheeks.
“Sorry,” she said. “Guess I got to work on getting down off the board.”
“We all can’t be an expert in our first day,” he said.
Ash loved the chance to touch her curves. To feel her soft skin underneath his fingertips. He’d used the surfer act on many hot tourists before her, but he’d never enjoyed it as much as he did with Kallie. She managed to stand up five more times and keep her balance before finally learning how to sit back down on the board without crashing into the water. And the excitement behind her eyes sparked a fire in Ash’s toes.
“Ready to try for a real wave?” he asked.
“I don’t think I’m ready for something like that,” Kallie said.
“You’ve gotten a lot farther in two hours than I’ve ever seen anyone get. Come on. Humor me. Let’s try it.”
He helped her set herself up before wrapping the board clasp around her ankle. She closed her eyes, he knew she felt the wave building underneath her, and Ash pushed her off. She paddled like he showed her and slowly went to stand, and soon she was on her feet as the wave pushed her toward the shore.
“Yeah! Go Pretty Kallie! Keep your balance! Don’t lock your knees!”
He watched as she made it all the way to the shore before jumping into the water. She turned around and gave him two thumbs-up and he laughed to himself. There was something about this girl that he enjoyed. More than he thought he would.
He ran toward the shoreline as she was taking the band off her ankle.
“That was incredible,” Ash said as he wrapped his arms around her. “You were spectacular, Pretty Kallie.”
He grabbed her and spun her around as the waves knocked his board farther into the shoreline. Kallie was beaming. He could feel her smile against his shoulder. But before he could set her down, he felt her pushing at him. She scrambled out of his arms, her eyes wide with shock, and she pulled away from him as he furrowed his brow.
“Are you okay?” Ash asked.
“Yeah, yeah. Just ... the twirling. Made me dizzy,” Kallie said.
But he wasn’t buying it.
“Why don’t we go grab some lunch then? I know a great place with the best fish tacos on the island. We can get you some Sprite to help with the dizziness.”
Her eyes were hesitant, but Ash wasn’t giving up. He wasn’t ready to let her go yet. He wasn’t ready for his day with her to end. It had been two and a half hours, but he wanted more.